🥾 High Peaks & Condor Gulch Trail Loop (5.5 miles, 1,630 feet elev. gain): This hike provides an up-close and personal encounter with the park’s namesake pinnacles. To maximize your adventure on this hike, be sure to take the “Steep and Narrow” section of the High Peaks Trail when you reach higher elevations. I also recommend adding the Rim Trail, Bear Gulch Cave Trail, and Moses Spring Trail loop to this hike, which adds about 1-1.5 miles.
🥾 Balconies Cave: This cave can be accessed via the Balconies Trail (2.6 miles, 400 feet elev. gain) from the west side of the park, or via the Old Pinnacles Trail (5.1 miles, 495 feet elev. gain) from the east side of the park. Visiting Balconies Cave can be turned into a loop with High Peaks, creating an all-day adventure with at least 9 miles of hiking and 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
🥾 Chalone Peak Trail to North Chalone Peak (7.7 miles, 2,155 feet elev. gain): This trail guides hikers to the highest point in the park, which features an old fire tower and offers great views of the valleys and hills surrounding Pinnacles National Park.
🥾 Bench Trail (2-4.8 miles, up to 300 feet elev. gain): From Pinnacles Campground, follow this relatively flat trail towards the Bear Gulch Day Use Area. The Bench Trail was where I found the most wildlife during my visit to Pinnacles.

🦅 Birdwatching: Pinnacles’ diverse bird population – including the rare California condor – merits attention when visiting the park. The park’s network of trails provides ample opportunity to view these birds in the wild. Follow this NPS link to read about the birds found in the park.
⛺ Camping: Pinnacles offers a single developed campground in its borders that provides easy access to the park’s trails. The campground offers tent camping, RV camping, and even tent cabins for rent.
🧗 Rock Climbing: Sport and trad climbing is possible in Pinnacles National Park, and many routes can be found along the park’s hiking trails. Mountain Project lists 200+ sport routes and 90+ trad routes in the park – visit their website to learn more. Be sure to check on raptor advisories before planning a climbing trip.

🏙️ San Francisco: This famous city sits about 2.5 hours from the park and is a good candidate to use as a “jumping-off” point to visit Pinnacles. While there, be sure to check out the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Street, and Alcatraz.
🏞️ Point Lobos State Natural Reserve: Sitting less than 2 hours from Pinnacles near Monterey, this state park offers hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities on the coast. It is a point of interest along California State Route 1.
🏞️ Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: If you continue south down California State Route 1 from Point Lobos, you’ll reach this popular destination on California’s coast. The park offers beautiful and scenic views of the coastline and houses a group of 2,500-year-old redwood trees.
🚗 California State Route 1: This famous highway guides drivers along California’s coast. One could spend days or weeks exploring the many overlooks, nature parks, and towns sitting along this road.

📅 When to Visit: Plan to visit Pinnacles any time of the year except summer, when temperatures are dangerously hot. Fall and winter offer cooler temperatures, while spring presents the chance to see green grass and beautiful wildflowers.
⌚ How Long to Visit: 1-2 days is plenty of time to see Pinnacles’ main attractions and explore its best trails.
🚗 How to Visit: Pinnacles is easy to reach by car from San Francisco, San Jose, Monterey, or any of the smaller towns within a 1-hour radius of the park.
🛏️ Where to Stay: Pinnacles Campground is the best place to stay in or around the park. Visitors can camp in a tent or RV or – alternatively – opt to rent a tent cabin.
🧳 What to Bring: In case you explore any of the caves found in the park, bring a flashlight or headlamp. Otherwise, bring your usual hiking and camping gear, and make sure your hiking boots have good traction for the more rugged hikes.

✅ DO protect your food and scented items from raccoons when you camp. The park houses an opportunistic raccoon population that will steal any unattended food.
✅ DO look for California condors. These huge birds are rare, and spotting them in the National Park can be a delight.
❌ DON’T visit the wrong side of the park. Pinnacles has a distinct eastern side and western side, but no roads cross the park. The campground, visitor center, and best trailheads can be found on the park’s eastern side.
❌ DON’T visit during the summer. Temperatures in the hottest months can range from uncomfortable for the prepared and dangerous for those without enough water.
❌ DON’T feed the wildlife. During my visit, I encountered several squirrels, raccoons, and birds that were eager for food, a problem caused by those ignorant enough to feed them.